Category: FOOD & DRINK

Eco-friendly apple brandy Avallen Calvados hits London

Harlow Richmond cocktail

If there’s one thing the world needs more of, it’s bees. So when Tim Etherinton-Judge and Stephanie Jordan discovered a world where orchards, cows, birds and bees work in perfect harmony, they knew they could do something that improved the sustainability of the world of alcohol as well as the world of bees. Together, they’ve launched the new, sustainable brandy label Avallen Calvados; purposed to be delicious and drinkable, as well as promote the message to #beepositive. Born out of a shared passion for traditional spirits and sustainable products, it’s been founded with the intention to re-ignite Calvados, one of the world’s great brandies, and have a positive impact on the wild bee populations in the markets where it is sold.  Their program helps bee populations around the world with their #BeePositive message by donating €0,50 of profit for every bottle sold to organisations dedicated to restoring and protecting the most important of insects as well as a commitment to plant 100,000 wild flowers over the next 3 years across the globe in aid of helping our forever declining bee population. The new batch is fresh, fruity and proudly apple forward in its flavour profile. Aged in French oak barrels for two years and bottled at 40%, it’s a drop made from nothing but real apples, water and time. See more about Avallen Calvados at their website or head to sustainable London bar, Nine Lives to try it for yourself.

Feel Good Festival, London: Geffrye Museum gardens in Hoxton come to life in June

Geffrye lawn

The Geffrye Museum might be shut until next year because of extensive renos and upgrades, but that doesn’t mean everything comes to a halt. On Saturday 1 June from 10.30am – 4pm (free entry), the gardens out the front of the museum will come to life with the Feel Good Festival, a free event for anyone who’s into wellbeing and feeling fine. The festival will encourage people to feel good moving, making, eating and relaxing and celebrating primarily Turkish, Cypriot and Vietnamese culture especially as it champions working in partnership with the local community. On offer will be activities for everyone like building up an appetite doing tai chi, yoga or Zumba; origami, Turkish marbling or planter making, outdoor games or just chilling out with something tasty on hand. The event has been programmed in collaboration with the museum’s local community partners:  Centre 151, Derman, Hackney Cypriot Association, and Islington & Shoreditch and Lien Viet Housing Association. Head over to the Geffrye gardens at 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA.

Gin and exploration: Mr Fogg’s London turns the clock back by 100 years

Mr Foggs bar

There were no Google maps, no iPhones, no EPIRBs, no satellite tracking, bags weren’t make of tough stuff, shoes weren’t as advanced as they are now and – let’s be honest – people just weren’t as fit as we are today. This situation – and even more disconnected if you go even further back – indicate the conditions under which most of the world was discovered, trekked through, divulged and unveiled to one or many explorers through history and this summer in London, Mr Fogg’s is giving you a chance to learn all about it. It’s called the Mr Fogg’s Explorer Series and this June, it’ll host two dudes called the Turner Twins, modern day explorers who’ll be discussing how hard it was to be an explorer 100 years ago compared to the modern day.  On 3 June, you’ll be taken on a journey as the two of them look back at the challenges faced by explorers all those years ago, battling against the elements with almost none of the technology and equipment explorers have today. With stories from their latest mission of reaching the world’s eight poles of inaccessibility, you can sit back and listen to the highs and lows of the adventure so far, with Tanqueray No. Ten gin cocktails in hand.  The Turner Twins are charitably-minded modern day explorers who’ve made it their life’s mission to chart the unconventional life path that has seen them searching for answers by embarking on a series of challenges that combines pioneering medical research and unique studies of… Read More

Panama House on Bondi Beach: Mexican inspired food by the beach

Panama House

For the times you need a decent feed, inspired by South America but without the effort of having to travel, think Panama House. Right on Bondi Beach, it’s open plan, airy, got views for days and a menu that’ll have you wanting to come that often, too, serving up Mexican-inspired goods that are simple, honest, easy and delicious. They specialise in brunch and dinner, honing in on what makes the best of their menu worth the seaside trip and why their dining room is in such high demand. With a menu that stars the likes of huevos rancheros with flour and corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, cheese, veracruz beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo; fajitas of spiced beef cheek, green mole chicken, confit pork jowl, slaw, veracruz beans, pico, guacamole, sour cream, flour tortillas as well as bourbon-smoked corn fritters with avocado, poached egg, ranch dressing, it’s pretty whole and damn nice. For those after something a touch more substantial, think buttermilk fried chicken burgers with mixed leaf, apple-cabbage slaw, american cheese, lime aíoli, hot sauce, hand-cut fries as well as tacos, salads and a full range of cocktails with super fun names. The creative cocktail list stars winners like “Once Apon A Time in Jalisco” made of vanilla tromba blanco tequila, pampelle grapefruit aperitif, passion fruit, pineapple, lemon, egg; “Caught In The Rain” concocted from plantation pineapple rum, passion fruit curd, coco-pina puree, tempus fugit banane liqueur; and a sweet, kicky “Beneath The City Lights” made with waqar pisco, lillet blanc, pierre ferrand curacao,… Read More

How to picnic in London: The Arch London’s posh picnic hampers

Picnic Hampers The Arch London

Is there anything more quintessentially English than a picnic in the park? Probably not. Which is why the The Arch London has done all the thinking for you and is offering the experience up at a park of your choosing – Hyde Park is probably easiest – with their new posh picnic hampers. The Arch’s picnic hampers offer up a nice taste of Hunter 486 restaurant’s critically acclaimed Best of British-inspired menu. Think, a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and gourmet delights including homemade chips with sea salt, lemon and sage; a selection of sandwiches including English cheddar with apple and raisin chutney with sun blushed tomato salad; coronation chicken with baby gem, and coriander cress salad; smoked salmon with lemon butter and cracked black pepper on brown bread; Jersey royal potato salad with apple and mustard dressing; raspberry and pistachio trifle; battenburg; and homemade muffins. If that’s not a spread, what is? Get it for £100 for two from 28 May to 9 September 2019, it’s a posh little hamper that covers all bases for a chill Sunday afternoon, a romantic proposal or any celebration that requires major cuteness. Get them from The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD. To book, head to thearchlondon.com

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is coming to London

Royal China Baker Street

This June, London will come alive to the tune of its collection of Hong Kong boats that’ll do battle for top honours in the middle of town. The dragon boat festival takes place each year at the London Regatta Centre in the city’s Docklands, with up to 40 teams battling it out for top honours. The festival also includes live music, dragon dancing and much more. On top of all that, it’s food, food, food around the city, offering fans of Asian cuisine one hell of a spread in the way of sticky rice dumplings, abalone and mushroom dumplings and heaps of other Chinese staples at the Royal China restaurants that’ll offer traditional Hong Kong Chinese dishes. And if that’s not enough, the Royal China Club will provide an exclusive experience combining European ingredients within the authentic Chinese cuisine.  Find out more and make a booking at the Royal China website.

The Peninsula hotel, Hong Kong: Have dinner inside a work of art

Peninsula Hong Kong

If ever you’ve wanted to have dinner inside a piece of art, then this might be for you. Even if not, it’s a cool experience. The Peninsula Hong Kong is the city’s most iconic luxury hotel, famous for its high tea and amazing dining experiences, has created the artwork as part of their new art programme, Art in Resonance. That’s the long way around to saying you’re now able to have dinner in a room that’s been inspired by traditional Chinese culture, making use of meticulous woodworking techniques to create a modern take on a Chinese teahouse. It’s a box with its inside decked out in an egg-like structure, complete with a five course set menu of slow-cooked salmon, caviar, root vegetables, sesame, beurre blanc and fine meringue, cassis coulis, chestnut puree.

Australian wines kill it at Decanter World Wine Awards

Decanter Awards wine 3

Everyone knows Aussie wines are good. But, now it’s official. At the Decanter World Wine Awards in London recently, amongst 930 entries, in between 17,000 wines from over 57 countries and judged by 280 of the world’s finest winies, the humble Australian drop took out quite the title. Only the top 50 were awarded the highly sought-after accolade of “Best in Show” of which Australian wines collected six of these placing them 3rd on the global leaderboard behind France and Spain. Australia was awarded a massive 16 Platinum medals, 52 Gold medals and 289 Silver medals with these stellar drops. Wines to watch out for The Kilikanoon Attunga 1865 Shiraz 2014from the Clare Valley, Dawson James Chardonnay 2015 from Derwent Valley in Tasmania, Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz 2017 from the Hunter Valley, Shingleback “The Gate” Shiraz 2017 from the McLaren Vale, McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2007 from the Hunter Valley and Campbells Rare Merchant Prince NV Rutherglen Muscat were the winners of the esteemed Best in Show. Western Australia’s Margaret River was the top performing region, taking the most medals in Australia of which the Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay was awarded a Platinum medal, scoring an impressive 98 points. For more about the Decanter Awards, head over to their website.

Sky Garden London: Where to get the city’s best view

Sky Garden London 1

When it comes to London, there’s a lot to look at. The Tower of London, The Shard, The Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, The Gherkin; it’s a lot to take in for one place. Combine a few of those into one, launch yourself up the the 31st floor of the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building in the centre of London and you’ve got the Sky Garden; the city’s largest and most flash viewing platform-cum-bar they’ve got to offer. Officially dubbed as London’s highest garden, Sky Garden is an open space garden, right above London that provides 360 degree views of the city, featuring some of its most renowned sites and historical must-sees. From the moment you exist the lift, you’re staring down The Shard across the river Thames. To the left; The Tower of London, the fortress that became a home to kings and now houses the Crown Jewels; behind the building, a striking view of ‘The Gherkin’ building and facing West, the rest of London. It’s especially stunning at sunset. Stay until the evening to see the city light up before nightfall, go early afternoon to be drenched in golden hour sunlight for some of the most stunning photos you can take; go at any time of day for a view that money can’t buy. Sky Garden does drinks, food, and experiences like no other in London, all expertly executed and perfectly timed. It’s another one of the city’s must-dos. Make a booking at the Sky Garden website or head over and hope to get in at… Read More

Bottomless brunch in London: COYA Angel Court goes boozy

Coya London

As the sun comes out in London, so do (more of) its drinkers and what better way to do it than a bottomless brunch? COYA in Angel Court – one of five global locations – has ramped it up a bit for its base of loyal and new friends, putting on a bottomless brunch spread fit for Liz herself, every Saturday. It’s for people who’re after something a bit more special than your usual endless servings of house white and beer, turning out a three hour affair of bottomless pisco sours and other cocktails, champagne, vibrant Peruvian dishes, music and special performances. It kicks off each Saturday in the Pisco Bar & Lounge with unlimited pisco sours, espresso martinis, margaritas and bloody marys for drinks, while tacos, bao buns and anticuchos take over the food menu. But that’s not where it ends. Ceviche, beef tataki, kingfish tiradito with truffle oil and more will also be available to the tune of smooth DJ beats in an environment that’s oh, too trendy. Good to know: The first weekend of each month will be a special edition brunch, with surprise performances and a special offering. Each month will have a different theme to elevate the experience and surprise guests. Get the spirit package for £65 a go, or the champagne package for another £10. See more at the COYA Angel Court website or find them at 31-33 Throgmorton St, London EC2N 2AT.